Supercharge Your Immune System for Winter Survival

Many of us yearn for the winter months, welcoming the respite it gives from hot Australian summers, and the opportunity to slow down and reconnect with ourselves and loved ones.

On the flip side, the arrival of colder days often means we are dealing with a lowered immune system and more sickness, such as colds, coughs and flu. In turn, that typically leads to extra stress in the home and throws up added challenges to daily life. If you are on the journey to do all you can to ward off pesky bugs and viruses and thrive (not just survive) this winter, it’s wise to add kinesiology to your seasonal wellness kit.

Why? Because it’s a non-invasive, holistic, and stress-busting therapy that can powerfully supercharge your immune system and help you get through winter feeling far more balanced and well!

Why we get sick during winter
There are a myriad of contributing factors to why many people experience more sickness during winter. Some of these include:

• Less vitamin D

This fat-soluble vitamin is essential to the body, helping power our immune system. While it’s available in some foods, it’s primarily produced in the body when our skin is exposed to UV
rays from the sun. With less sunlight around in winter, vitamin D levels can drop, having a negative impact on our immune system.

Many people take vitamin D supplements in the cooler months to help them get by. You can also increase your uptake of vitamin D-containing foods, such as cheese, egg yolks, fatty
fish, fish liver oils and beef liver.

• Stress & Depression

Research shows severe stress can dampen the immune system, reducing white blood cells (which help fight off infection) and increasing inflammation in the body. Chronic long-term inflammation is linked to many immune system issues, so it’s best to avoid it if we can.

A type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, can also occur more commonly in winter. It’s believed to be triggered by chemical changes in the brain linked to shorter days and less daylight. Symptoms include feeling down all day, most days, having low energy, sleeping excessively, difficulty concentrating and feeling guilty, worthless or hopeless.

It follows then that stress-reducing therapies, and practices that inspire, bring joy, and motivate us are even more critical to include in our routines during winter.

• Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle

During winter, our nutrition can easily suffer. Foods like fresh fruits and vegetables can be more expensive and less available. Many of us also find it more difficult to eat fresh foods, like salads, when temperatures aren’t as warm. Likewise, often our water intake drops off when we don’t feel as hot, which can affect hydration and overall health.

Winter can also see us become less physically active, as it may be harder to get out and move due to rain and cold and comfort-eating can rear its head more readily too, which can cause extra stress for the body.  Having a good sleeping routine, eating fresh, unprocessed food, staying physically active, and maintaining your hydration levels are non-negotiable when trying to keep your immune system balanced.

Signs of a weak immune system
It’s not hard to spot when our immune system is low.

We become more prone to infections and illness, especially respiratory and skin issues. We may experience them more frequently or they may be more severe, and usually our recovery
period is longer.

With a weaker immune system, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory conditions, anaemia (low iron) and digestive issues may arise.

Supporting your immune system with kinesiology
Kinesiology is a very effective approach to supporting your immune system as it helps pinpoint and tackle imbalances in the body linked to emotional stress, physical function (including of the immune system) and nutrition.

Muscle monitoring is harnessed to track down any weaknesses that may be hampering the body’s ability to mount a timely and effective immune response. Once identified, a range of techniques, such as acupressure and guided emotional processing, are then drawn on to overcome these issues.

Kinesiology has many positive effects on the body, such as calming the nervous system, helping our internal systems to communicate and work together more harmoniously, boosting energy levels and delivering enhanced mental clarity.

All of this ultimately helps restore balance so that the body can more readily tap into its own wisdom and natural healing abilities, paving the way for peak health and a stronger, more resilient immune system.

Critically, it’s also an effective way to support our psychological health. This is a crucial piece of the health puzzle as it helps us make daily lifestyle choices that are better for our body, giving us the best chance of staying well.

As health is true wealth, prioritising wellbeing is a must all year round. If you feel like you are facing roadblocks in staying as healthy as you’d like, it may be wise to dig a little deeper and see how a professional kinesiologist can support your journey to wellness.